Flamingos and the Scientific Method A bird’s eye view: Flamingos and the Scientific Method Marita Davison Ph.D Student Cornell University

Past Present 2001 Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Curriculum Development Field collections Cloud Forest 2002 2000 This is meant to be an introductory slide to help students envision how a career in ecology/conservation can come about. I think it is important to highlight that there can be many twists & turns along the way, and that often we end up in unexpected places. Environmental Science Ecology, Conservation, Sociology, Economics, Anthropology 1996 Past Present

I am... Ornithologist Limnologist

A few definitions... ECOLOGY “oikos” = house (i.e. the planet, our home) “logos” = study or knowledge The study of the relationship between living organisms & their environment ORNITHOLOGY “ornithos” = bird The study of birds LIMNOLOGY “limne” = lake The study of lakes, ponds, & other standing waters

Community: a group of interacting organisms living in the same place And a few more... Community: a group of interacting organisms living in the same place Coral Reef Sonoran Desert How does predator abundance affect the number of species? Important to note in definition of Community: organisms represent many different species and interact through trophic and/or spatial relationships. The term refers only to BIOTIC factors. Ecosystem: refers to BIOTIC & ABIOTIC factors We can ask a set of questions about the same place that are either at the community level (orange) or ecosystem level (green). How does nutrient availability affect primary production? Ecosystem: a community of organisms and their physical environment interacting as an ecological unit

The Scientific Method make an observation ask a question do background research Scientific method: make an observation, ask a question, do background research, construct a hypothesis (and generate predictions), test hypothesis (usually by doing an experiment), analyze data & draw a conclusion, report your results (was your hypothesis correct?) construct a hypothesis The Scientific Method test your hypothesis analyze & report results

Flamingos are the most conspicuous organisms in Altiplano salt lakes 1. Observations Flamingos are the most conspicuous organisms in Altiplano salt lakes Flamingos spend most of their time eating by grazing algae that has settled on the lake sediment surface Flamingos are the most abundant grazers in Altiplano salt lakes Flamingos are large and much more locally abundant than any other avifauna utilizing Altiplano salt lakes.

What effect do flamingos have on Altiplano salt lakes? Sub-questions: 1. Do flamingos influence community structure? 2. Do flamingos influence ecosystem processes? What would happen (ecologically) if flamingos disappear?

3. Background research A. Library search B. Internet search ecological journals, books, popular articles Making contacts with experts is important because they may have useful insights relating to your project or unpublished data that may inform your hypotheses. B. Internet search active researchers, photographs, videos, maps C. Make contacts experts in the field, potential collaborators

Algae >2x more abundant when flamingos absent 3. Background research Algae >2x more abundant when flamingos absent Protozoa >6x more abundant when flamingos absent From Hurlbert & Chang 1983

4. Constructing a hypothesis Hypothesis: a working explanation of observed facts that leads to testable predictions Hypotheses must address your question of interest, they are NOT questions themselves! Note on itallics: 1. A hypothesis is always an explanatory statement, not a question 2. A hypothesis is a “best guess” (given YOUR knowledge) explanation for something you have observed in nature 3. Hypotheses must lead to predictions that can be tested in the field or in the lab Prediction: a specific forecast of the expected outcome in the situation described in your hypothesis Predictions must be measurable, and should result in either: (1) acceptance or (2) rejection of the hypothesis

Hypotheses vs Predictions Find the hypothesis! Question 1: Do flamingos influence community structure? Biodiversity will be higher when flamingos are present and lower when flamingos are absent Flamingos impact biodiversity of their lake habitats This is a simple exercise to encourage students to distinguish between hypotheses and predictions. Flamingos affect the growth of algae in Altiplano salt lakes Growth of algae will be higher when flamingos are absent and lower when flamingos are present Question 2: Do flamingos influence ecosystem processes?

How to test a hypothesis

5. Hypothesis testing Experimental design: Simulate extinction of flamingos by excluding them from certain areas in the lake 2 types of experimental plots: Exclosure plots: flamingos excluded Control plots: flamingos present Each plot: 4x4 meters, 5 of each type placed at 2 locations in the lake

5 pairs of plots (exclosure & control) Since the lake is quite heterogeneous, pairing allows for a more relevant comparison between plots.

Sampling x4

Samples obtained from each plot (E & C) Community structure Algae for identification Invertebrates for identification Ecosystem processes Biomass of algae (chlorophyll a) Biomass of of invertebrates